Across The Universe
by ThawtPolice
Summary: Sucked into Equestria by an otherworldly portal, a young man makes a new life for himself in Ponyville. Wrapped up in a strange plot to usurp the Princesses' throne, he attempts to make sense of the new world he lives in, some confusing feelings between him and another, and most of all, himself.
1. A Man Transformed

**Across The Universe**

Chapter One

A Man Transformed

**Author's Note: Welcome everypony! I'm OrdinaryNormal, here with my first chapter of **_**Across the Universe. **_**Meh, it's the best title I could think of. ****My update schedule will largely depend on how much schoolwork I have, but I'll try to get 1-2 chapters done per week. This is my first try at writing something outside of a school project, so please tell me what I'm doing wrong, be it simple spelling/grammatical errors or other things such as helping me make my writing flow better or be more cohesive. And yes, I do realize that the image manager slaughtered the pic, but I'm not that great at drawing so I'm not gonna do anything to it. Someone else can if they want.**

**Rated teen for now(Mostly for some swearing/innuendo/whatever I feel like including), but I might add a sexytimes chapter if people want me to, so that'll bump it up to M I suppose. Without further ado, on to the story!**

**Okay, I guess I lied about that. I'm afraid I'm legally obligated to put a disclaimer here.  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own My Little Pony. All rights go to Hasbro and Lauren Faust.  
ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: All similarities to other fanfics/OCs on any site are purely coincidental. Now that were done with all that, we can truly get on to the story. Hope you enjoy!**

The moon cast long, spindly shadows on the cold winter's ground, the barren branches seemingly reaching for something that only they could see. Occasionally, a rabbit or other small creature would pass through the scene, briefly disturbing the stillness with a quick dart across the snow-covered grass and a soft _thump-thump_ against the white fluff. The stars twinkled, bright against the inky sky, and the wind blew slowly through the trees, turning the ever-reaching branches into a hundred demonic, trembling hands.

I gazed out into the forest, looking but not really seeing, lost in thought from the safety of my bed. I would often sit like this late into the night, thinking. It brought me a measure of peace in my life, to share my thoughts with the starlit blackness, which never judged or turned away. It was just there, never giving any indication that it heard me, an ever-present sentinel guarding the Earth in its hours pointed away from the sun. I always did appreciate it for that.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Matthew, and I'm seventeen years old. I'm a smart, introverted boy with a few close friends that I care for, generally tolerating a few hours in a social setting with others before I tend to get uncomfortable and wish to leave. It wasn't that I hadn't tried to make more friends, but society's expectations of every male to be a testosterone-infused walking tank combined with social anxiety around women meant I had never had a girlfriend, and most of his friends were the more intellectual type. Still, I suppose I didn't have a terribly bad life; I really had a better time of it than most. My family wasn't poor and I was on his way to a good future. I should be happy, I told myself.

It wasn't that I didn't appreciate it; it's just that I wasn't as happy as I felt he deserved. I had never done anything really bad, so why must I have to shoulder this burden of thought? What did I do wrong? I felt terrible in my moments of quiet contemplation, as all those smarts had come with a cynical side. I felt the world was a place of evil, where man would do terrible things for their own selfish greed, and I wondered how far off in that opinion I was. Probably not much, if experience was anything to go by. I knew the word for my condition, and though it had never been diagnosed by a doctor, I called it by name when I was alone. There was no harm in acknowledging it, and I saw no argument to the contrary.

Depression.

Not that it ever would be diagnosed by anyone other than myself, as I did my best not to show it in the company of others. To my parents, I was a fine boy; well-rounded in all his activities and a friend to many. But, knowing myself a lot better than they did, I knew the truth. I had speculated on it long and hard for many weeks, often thinking far past midnight, and had come to the conclusion that it was because I did not know his purpose. I often felt as if my life could be something more, something meaningful, but I could never figure out what it was. It was a maddening feeling, and I knew it was slowly driving me insane. I was literally thinking myself to insanity, and it was not altogether unpleasant. I had learned much about my inner self in those nights of quiet thought.

Sometimes I would imagine myself in a heroic pose, saving a princess in a far off land of magic and intrigue. Other times, a phoenix of mythology: proud and regal, with feathers as red as blood, accented by the orange of a crackling flame. I liked the ones about love most. I had always been a hopeless romantic.

But tonight was not a night my less-happy side would be in control of. I supposed it was late enough for both of his parents to be asleep, and pulled myself out of his bed, maneuvering myself through the darkness to my desk. There, I slid my laptop open and logged on, the screen momentarily blinding me. Closing my eyes, I blindly dragged my fingers over the plastic keys, pressing buttons until I came to the brightness adjust. I hit the volume adjust rapid-fire until it hit its lowest setting. Daring to open my eyes, I found the screen now quite tolerable. Opening two tabs, I opened up the MLP reddit and iTunes.

"It's the first day of winter break, I should enjoy myself," I whispered. "Better stop getting myself down in the dumps."

I was a brony: a male fan of the My Little Pony show. I had originally heard of it from my best friend and fellow brony named Mike, and it had quickly become one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I loved everything about the community; the understanding, the friendship, and the creativity. At least one MLP-related site was up at all times on my laptop. I had a secret love of anything I deemed cute, and My Little Pony was off the charts in that respect. It was the one thing that could provide respite from my melancholy, and two hours and hundreds of DeviantART pictures later, I was just about falling asleep on my chair. It was a familiar feeling: I should really get to sleep, but against my better judgment (For the third time that night), I didn't want to. I would rather be a tired and cranky man tomorrow than a saddened man tonight.

Suddenly, I noticed a fiery red light in the corner of my eye, slowly gaining brightness as it traveled across the sky. I had never seen one before, but I realized it must be a meteor or "shooting star" as it were. This one happened to be fairly small, with the trail taking up a bit of my window. I knew the odds of a meteor this size getting through the earth's atmosphere was incredibly, astronomically minute, and yet here it was, as real as the maple-wood desk I sat at. It was beautiful, and I stared, awestruck, for most of a minute before I realized and closed my open mouth. The meteor was continuing its journey across my field of vision, and its glow seemed to be turning white the farther it got. It was now a rosy pink hue, the color of Fluttershy's mane and tail. I thought it strange I had made that connection, but that's exactly what it was.

The meteor now seemed to be angling downwards, and it occurred to me that it was heading straight for the forest beyond my bedroom window. I waited a couple minutes longer to make sure, rubbing my eyes occasionally as if I could not believe what I was seeing. In reality, I was just extremely tired, and rubbing my eyes kept me from closing them and entering the world of my dreams. I was sure the meteor was descending now, and I realized that whatever happened, I doubted I was going to fall asleep. I had a plan in my mind, and my cranky morning self was probably going to regret it.

The meteor was descending even faster now, and it was definitely going to hit the Earth behind my house. I was out of my chair by this point, and slammed my hand on the closet light switch. I dressed myself in my favorite jeans and a hoodie; I seemed to have a natural resistance to cold temperatures, and I doubted the snowy world outside would bother me; it was one of the many interesting quirks I seemed to have. But my plan was this: I would find wherever that meteor landed, as it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I was determined not to miss it. I'd figure out what to do about the space-rock when I actually found it. Looking outside, the meteor disappeared over the treetops, before lighting up the sky as bright as day. I was almost knocked over on my back, and I felt the vibration of the impact all the way inside my house. It shook the foundations like so many matchsticks, and several of my books fell off the shelves. Whatever my expedition would bring, I now believed I would remember it.

Slowly opening the front door, paying extra mind to the small amount of noise I was making on the hardwood floors, I slunk out of the house and gently shut the door behind me. "Now why hasn't anybody else noticed that meteor?" I remarked to myself. "It was certainly loud enough…" Shaking off my suspicions, I jumped the front steps and into the cool night air.

I started off at a quick jog to the entrance of the park; even though I was more the intellectual type, that didn't mean I was out of shape (I tried not to conform to **all** the stereotypes). Slowing down when I came to the path, I turned right and headed into the forest proper. All sounds of the outside world ceased to exist in the forest, as if it were a soundproof room, and I suddenly felt quite a few degrees colder. Nondescript shapes seemed to watch me from the brush, waiting in the shadows for a chance to pounce. I knew these were just figments of my imagination, but I shivered anyways. Filled with a newfound apprehension, I continued my walk to where I thought the meteor had impacted the Earth.

Several minutes later, I was still walking. I was beginning to think about turning back, wondering if I was in the right place. After all, it was a big forest, and it would not be hard to miss something, even when it was a meteor. As those fears were taking hold of me, I suddenly saw scorch marks through the trees. The air now had a slightly acrid smell, like something was burning. Quickening my pace, I left the path, hopping tree roots and narrowly missing several rocks with my feet. What I saw next made me stop in my tracks.

A few meters from my feet, the ground simply disappeared over the rim of a large, smoking crater. Exposed rock poked up in craggy spires, and a haze of dirt spread over the scene. Black ash was everywhere, piling into mounds and tainting the pure whiteness of the snow. Several trees on the edge of the blast were burning, their fire spreading to other trees as the wind picked up. At the center of the crater, there was a light: softly glowing, it radiated a cool glow of blue; a stark contrast against the brown earth and hazy fires. I felt my eyes drawn to it like a moth to a flame- even if I wanted to, I could not look away.

Slowly, I felt my feet move, controlled by someone – or something - else. I was powerless to stop it. Moving of their own volition, they were slowly guiding me towards the light in the middle of the crater. Drawing closer, I could see into the light, and I gasped as I realized that there appeared to be a portal inside. Yes, a swirling mix of several colors, mostly variations on purples and pinks. I saw that it stretched on for what seemed like miles, and I started quaking in my shoes.

I tried to backtrack, to change course, anything, but to no avail. I was not in control of my own body, and it made me completely and utterly horrified. I never had a very strong faith in any gods, but at this moment, I was praying like a saint. In my head, I knew it would probably not do me any good, and I was too close to the portal now for anything to save me. Next to the portal, it was now incredibly hot, as it was radiating seemingly pure energy. I wondered why I had not burned up in the intense heat, and briefly entertained the thought that it was magic. A second later, I dismissed the idea, as the logical side of me knew it was impossible. Magic didn't exist, did it?

Steeling my nerves, I resigned myself to whatever was on the other side. I was now mere inches from the portal, and I said my silent, final goodbyes to everyone I cared for. My best friends, my parents (although they had always wanted a child more… "normal" than me) and whoever else I felt like including.

As my foot reached the portal, a great blast of light shot up from the center of the crater and rapidly ascended into the sky. Turning red, sparks crackled along its length. It gave off light so bright I had to turn my head for fear of being permanently blinded. Looking down, I saw my foot vaporizing in front of me. The particles looped and twirled around my body, tickling me on the nose, before continuing their journey into the portal. Within seconds, most of my body had passed through, and I turned my head (the last part of my body still there) and caught a last glimpse of home- charred ground, dirty snow, and dark forest.

Then my head disappeared through the portal. Sensing I had passed, the portal started to flicker, more sparks flying out, then shuddering violently and collapsing in on itself in a light red haze. Next, the beam of light emanating from the crater started to shrink, disappearing from the sky as quickly as it had appeared in the first place. With a final, muted flash of light, the smoking crater was shrouded in darkness, the portal nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, I was careening through space, a look of shock plastered upon my features. Inside the portal, I was floating through a shapeless void, where time seemed to stand still. It was rather like I was under the influence of hallucinogens. Random shapes seemed to float past my vision, and I could not remember how much time I had spent within. I continued like this for a while, confused over how I was still alive. I had thought that I would be killed, or at the very least transported somewhere else, immediately after entering this between-world. It had not occurred to me that I would be floating here for any amount of time.

However, I now realized that I had been steadily speeding up for a time - I could not tell exactly how long, since time was distorted in this place. I seemed to be drawn towards something once again, but I did not know what or where. Whatever it turned out to be, it seemed my troubles for the night would not be ending yet. I didn't seem to be able to do anything about it, as any movement I made with my limbs served no purpose but to twist me around in the air. With a very audible "huff", I oriented myself in a semblance of normalcy and crossed my arms. If I was going to float through a void, unable to do anything about it, that didn't mean I had to like it.

All my time spent trying to get myself out of my predicament had left me unaware of the approaching end to the portal. I turned around and gasped as the other side of the void approached. Much like the beginning of this tunnel, the end appeared to me as a shining light; it seemed I would reach it quite soon. Facing the portal, I swallowed and forced myself to keep my composure. This time around, there was no fancy display of light when I approached. It merely sat there, waiting for me, and with a small, muted flash of white light, I was gone.

I didn't even get a chance to see where I was going this time. That wasn't particularly fair, now was it?

**So… how'd you like it? Like I said, it's my first fanfic, so I don't expect it to be perfect, but I'll try to make it a pretty good outing. Sound off in the comments, if this doesn't get buried in all of the other new submissions around the time of my posting.**

**Oh, and a merry Hearth's Warming to all of you!****  
**

**-OrdinaryNormal**


	2. New In Town

**Across the Universe**

Chapter 2

New In Town

**A/N: Soooooo… welcome back everypony! Hope you liked the last chapter, but now on to the second. I apologize for taking so damn long getting this up (It's been an ENTIRE month) I had my semester finals, two Nordic ski meets I had to practice for every day, and two downhill ski races to deal with, plus some family problems. However, four weeks is ridiculous, and I'm really just making excuses, as I could have fit plenty of writing into the time I had. I was lazy, I'll admit. Again, sorry.**

**You all came here for the story though, so don't let me hold you up any longer. If you have any positive/negative thoughts on this latest chapter, don't hesitate to review- all constructive criticism is appreciated. This is my first story, and I need to get better.**

**NOTICE: I'll be changing my name to ThawtPolice, so don't be alarmed if a new name appears if you follow this.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own My Little Pony. All rights go to Hasbro and Lauren Faust (And whoever else legally has a stake in it), who are awesome, because ponies are the shit.**

I couldn't remember a time my head had hurt this bad. The feeling was not unlike a million firecrackers exploding at once, filling my head with smoke, light, and a terrible ache. I could not form a coherent thought, as every time I reached out in my mind for one, they flitted away like little featherweight strings, floating just out of reach. The only thing I knew in that moment was pain. Barely gathering the strength for a halfhearted "Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh…" I fell back into unconsciousness.

Ascending from unconsciousness once again, I realized my headache had disappeared, leaving my mind in working order. Slowly opening my eyes, I raised my head and looked around. I was lying near a dirt path, in a sort of wintery clearing. The ground was covered in pure white snow, seemingly untouched by anyone else until this point. The sun shone down brightly, reflecting off the snow and giving it a soft golden hue. It wasn't overly cold, about forty degrees Fahrenheit, by my reckoning. A few scattered clouds slowly floated overhead in the otherwise clear skies. Flanked by trees on three sides, it was a pretty sight, the trees themselves also laden with the white fluff. Beside them, bushes formed a ring of groundcover, preventing access to the wilderness beyond. It made for an idyllic scene, to be sure, but… why couldn't I remember getting here?

Then last night's memories came back to me.

"Holy… oh fuck man… there was that meteor, and then I went into the woods… and then… what the fuck… there was that portal… thing, and then… shit. Shit shit shit! Where the hell am I?" Unable to comprehend what happened, I let loose strings of unintelligible sentences, punctuated by a varied set of curses. My head started to throb again due to the stress, and I sat back in the snow. Moving a hand up to my forehead, I closed my eyes and began to rub my temples, aiming for a small release from the ache. However, something didn't feel right.

My eyes shot open as I tore my arm away from my forehead. Inspecting my hand, I froze in shock.

It wasn't a hand. It didn't have any fingers, instead jut ending in a flat base with rounded edges. And it was dusty orange.

It was a hoof.

"Wait… am I on crack? This can't be real. I'm a human, and humans don't wake up with hooves." It was a logical guess, right? I mean, how often do humans change shape in their sleep? But the more I thought about it, the more I was sure this was real. I was not one for drugs, and even if I was, I had been at school or his house all week. I wouldn't have had a chance to get anything even if I wanted. Not to say it wasn't a very elaborate dream, but I thought that was unlikely, seeing as I never had a lucid dream in my life. Yes, there was only one explanation.

This was real.

Looking down at myself, the dusty color continued down to my back legs, which also ended in hooves. Turning my head around, I noticed a tail, brown in color, sticking out of my ass. "Is this what I think it is?" I asked out loud. Allowing myself a small bit of hope, I moved my hand (Or hoof, I guess) up above my forehead. Feeling around for a moment, I located what I was looking for. A horn rose out of my head, roughly five inches long and fairly smooth with a sort of spiral down the length, tapering to a rounded point at the end. My heart beat faster now, in anticipation of what might come next. Turning my head towards my flank, I gasped in awe.

"A cutie mark? A fucking cutie mark?" On my flank, a paintbrush sat frozen, a smear of blue behind it. It covered a good portion of my side, and I briefly noted how similar it was to a tattoo. In essence, after all, that's what it was.

A sudden realization hit me: I'm in Equestria, and I'm a pony. As in, a My Little Pony pony.

I sat on the snow, silent for almost a minute as that nugget of information wormed its way into my subconscious, attempting to digest this new development. Once the first waves of shock had passed through my mind, my first thought forced its way out of my mouth.

"This is awesome!" I yelled out to no one in particular, as it was just me in this clearing. I surged up onto my hooves in my rush of energy, and promptly fell flat on my face. Brushing snow off my features, I raised my head and prepared to try again, slower this time. If I were to be a pony, I needed to learn how to walk and stand, and I needed to learn fast. A grown pony with the motor skills of a newborn would doubtless raise suspicion. Planting my front hooves firmly in the snow, I transferred my weight to them as I unfolded my hind legs. Wobbling for a moment, I was able to stand, if not entirely confidently. However, I didn't care, as my rush of adrenaline had not fully worn off. I quickly attempted a step forward and I was once again rewarded with a bed of snow as it rushed up to greet my features. Splaying my hooves out in front of me, I landed awkwardly and felt a sharp pain travel its way up my left-front leg.

This was gonna take a while.

An hour or so later, according to my reckoning, I felt I had the hang of walking. It wasn't much, but it was progress, even if it was accompanied by several falls. I was glad for the snow, as it softened the impact a considerable amount. It hadn't been that hard to get the motions down, actually; the difficult part was the act of chaining each step together in a way that didn't make me look severely constipated. I looked down at my tracks and realized I had worn impressions in the snow from pacing around so much; patches of grass poking through the white fluff.

At that moment, I heard a noise around the bend of the dirt path, sort of like a cart being pulled. Straightening up, I raised my head and peered at the point where the track disappeared from my view. Suddenly, the tips of an old-fashioned cowboy hat rounded the bend, followed by almost-cornsilk colored hair and an orange head. With a start, I realized who it was- Applejack, the Element of Honesty and owner of Sweet Apple Acres. In my moment of realization (and a bit of shock), she slowed down and called out a greeting.

"Well howdy there, stranger! How're ya doin' tahday?" She asked, her expression one of warmth and friendship, even though we had never met. Her light green eyes were focused on me, expecting an answer.

"Oh, um, hi Ap- miss, I'm good, and you?" I stammered out, barely correcting my mistake in time. I didn't want to bring her suspicions down upon me, although standing in a clearing in the middle of freaking nowhere probably wasn't the best way to go about avoiding that.

"Ah'm doin' well, thank you. On my way back to Ponyville, in fact. I was just doin' some delivery work. What are you doin' out here?" Sure enough, I noticed her cart was empty, freed of whatever produce it had been carrying earlier that day.

"Oh, I was heading to Ponyville as well, and I supposed I'd enjoy the day while I'm at it. It's a nice one, don't you think?" I was surprised about how fast I came up with that, although, it wasn't a lie. Actually, heading to Ponyville would be a great idea- I would be able to meet more of the Mane Six.

"Sure is, mister. What's your name?" She asked.

"Matthew, miss. What's yours?" I responded cheerfully.

"Applejack. Matthew? That's a name ah haven't heard before. Say, why don't you walk with me to Ponyville? It'd be nice to have a traveling companion." This offer sounded fantastic, and I voiced my agreement. Walking beside her, we pulled on to the path and left the clearing behind.

About an hour and a half later, by my not-all-that-great reckoning, we arrived in the town of Ponyville, stopping in the square outside the Town Hall. You couldn't really call it a square, as it was more a ring around the town hall building, which was circular itself. It was a pretty sight, with the afternoon light bathing the area in a warm glow. There was a café off to one side, with patio seating out front, half buried in the snow. Looking to the left, a semi-frozen stream meandered its way through town, with two simple, stone bridges crossing over from one side to another. The afternoon sunlight reflected off the snow at my feet, turning it a lovely shade of gold. Banners were placed in a ring around the building proper, a different color on every flag. Streamers connected the posts the banners hung on, like a multicolored spider-web. Various ponies were walking around, making the most of the beautiful, warm winter's day, and I spotted several background ponies among the crowd.

Applejack turned to me, her Stetson sitting loosely on her mane. "So, Matthew, what were you gonna do in Ponyville, anyways? I don't think ya told me."

"Hmmm… I don't really know, Applejack. I figure I'll just see what it has to offer. I don't have anywhere I need to go." I responded truthfully.

"A sightseer, huh? That's all well and good, but do you have anywhere to sleep? It'll be dark soon, and by the looks of it, you aren't carryin' enough bits to get in to a hotel. Actually, you don't look like you're carryin' any bits at all! Leave your saddlebag at home or somethin'?" With this, she playfully hit me in the shoulder, making me lose my balance. I wasn't entirely used to walking on four legs just yet.

"Well, I guess I didn't really think about that. Or I forgot. Or something." I could feel a bit of embarrassment coming on. She brought up a serious point: where would I go? I couldn't just waltz into Ponyville and expect a free bed, could I? "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself; everyone makes mistakes… even ones as big as that!" Applejack chuckled a bit. "I know! Twilight has an extra bed at the library… I'm sure she'll understand your problem, even if she gives ya a bit of a hard time at first. If she doesn't, just tell her Applejack sent ya. She won't refuse a friend." At this, my heart rose. I could barely contain my excitement! Meeting Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's protégé, Element of Magic, and (in my personal opinion) the best of the Mane Six in my first day was a hell of a lot more than I had hoped.

And, um, a free bed wasn't bad either.

"That'd be fantastic, Applejack. Thanks." I replied. "Could I have some directions? Seeing as I'm new in town and all." It had gotten darker as our conversation progressed, and I didn't want to be lost when I couldn't see where I was going.

"Of course, sugarcube. To get to Twilight's, just go straight out of the square, take a left at the Cake's bakery, and go down that street a bit. It's a giant tree. You really can't miss it." Applejack answered. "Oh, and her dragon assistant? His name's Spike."

"Great. I guess I'll be off then, I've had a long day." I realized it had been over a day since I had a proper sleep, as being knocked unconscious after traveling through space didn't really seem like it counted.

"Alright, Matthew. If you need anything else, you just come over to Sweet Apple Acres, ya hear? I'd be glad ta talk to ya again." She waved at me as I began to walk away.

"I will, Applejack. Thanks again!" I felt the soft snow crunch under my hooves as I walked out of the square. Deep in thought, I hardly noticed as I almost walked into Cherilee. Stopping just before the purplish mare, I voiced my apology. "Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"That's alright." Her green eyes turned to mine. "Say, I don't think I've seen you around. New in town? What's your name?" She asked.

"Yep!" I replied. "I just got here today, actually. Oh, and the name's Matthew. What's yours?" Even if I already knew who she was, it would be best to appear as if I didn't.

"Cherilee. I'm the schoolteacher around here. Matthew, huh? That's an interesting name." With this, she looked out at the square. "Well, I should probably be off, I need to get home. I have a lot of papers to grade. But I'll see you around, okay?" She began to walk away.

"Sounds good, Cherilee. Bye!" I turned back to the street. Starting to walk again, I saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake's bakery come into view. I took a left, and slowed my pace. It was still light out, if only for a little while and now that I knew where I was going I had nothing to worry about. Looking around, it seemed other ponies had the same idea. Nopony looked in a particular hurry to get to wherever they were going, as it was a pleasant evening- it was still quite warm for the winter, and my pony body seemed to be more resistant to cold than a human one. I supposed that made sense, what with my new reddish-brown coat.

As I made my way along the street, I noticed the Ponyville style of architecture. It fit the style of a village, with the houses looking cottage-like and homely, complete with thatched roofs. Most were painted light colors, like whites and soft yellows, and it gave the town a friendly, down-to-earth (down-to-equestrian? I dunno) air. I liked it, as it was unlike the large, bland hulks that characterized my neighborhood on Earth.

Earth.

The thought brought a small tear to my eye, and a wave of sadness washed over me. Suddenly, I stopped in the middle of the street, my mind keeping me rooted in place. Lowering my head, I fought to regain my composure. Would I ever see it again? I doubted it, and homesickness quickly set in. I thought of all the friends- Charlie, Sam, and others- I would never see again. All the places I'd never see, all the things I'd never do. Would anyone be looking for me yet? It had been long enough for my parents to wake up, long enough for them to come downstairs and ask why I wasn't up yet, long enough for them to see my vacant bed and call the police. What would they do? Would they be hysteric? In shock? Would my mother be sitting in my room, sobbing as the search turned up no leads? I was sure they would find the crater soon enough, but what then? Blame it on magic? Not likely; the case would probably sit in the police records for years, still unsolved, as I grew old in this different existence.

But then again, I had always wanted to come here, hadn't I? Equestria, place of ponies, love, and friendship. Where the meanest that happened was chocolate rain from cotton-candy clouds, and the worst of the inhabitants was still several times nicer than the average adult human. A place where friendship was valued more than money, the opposite of Earth. Here, I might have a chance at a life worth living, instead of slaving away at some dead-end job in the city.

But I shouldn't get ahead of myself.

I resumed my trudge through the snow, stifling a yawn, with the twilight sky far above me. The moon had risen, ready to take its place among the stars for the night, and I silently thanked Luna for the sight. It was… peaceful. Maybe it was just from the moonlit thinking I did, but I held a certain affinity for the night. Anyways, I had a feeling Luna didn't get enough praise for her efforts. Who knows? Maybe she could hear me… I doubt the Princesses revealed ALL of their powers.

In front of me, the library appeared in my view. Craning my neck upwards, I was momentarily in awe. It was a lot bigger than I had imagined, for the show didn't really do it justice. Already, I could see that there were several more rooms than I had thought. The trunk was huge, with several windows built in, and I could see a large balcony on one side, probably off of Twilight's bedroom. Branches split from the trunk in many places, each one covered in leaves, all contributing to the lush canopy above. It was out of place for the middle of winter, a seemingly deciduous tree draped in summer colors. I couldn't decide if the tree was fake or not- the leaves and bark looked real enough, and they even swayed in the light breeze. Shrugging off my questions, I chalked it up to some sort of magical enchantment. After all, Twilight was probably the second or third most talented unicorn in Equestria, behind Celestia and maybe Luna- I was sure she could manage a spell like that.

Walking up to the door, I paused momentarily in front of a red sign, stuck in the ground near the library door. On it, there was a painted image of an open book, a fitting visual. I was sure Twilight enjoyed it too, with her love of reading. I let out a soft chuckle at the thought, and I didn't entirely know why. Turning to the door, I nearly collided with a candleholder mounted at eye height, the candle unlit. Backing away, I smiled at my clumsiness. Balancing on three legs, I raised my hoof and knocked softly. From inside, I heard Twilight call to her dragon assistant.

"Spike, will you get that for me?" she asked, her tone one used between close friends.

"Sure thing, Twilight!" answered the young dragon. I heard his footsteps approach the door. I quickly looked over myself, making sure I looked presentable. When the door opened, I saw Spike looking up at me from inside the threshold. "Hi, mister! Here for Twilight?" he said.

"Yep!" I looked at him. "The name's Matthew. You must be Spike, right?" Of course, I already knew that, but couldn't let anyone know that. At best they wouldn't believe the truth, and at the worst, it might cause some sort of time paradox where everyone exploded. That was probably exaggeration, but who knew?

"Yeah." Pausing, he turned around and called through the library. "Twilight, there's a pony here to see you!"

From the faintness of Twilight's reply, I guessed she was upstairs. "Alright, Spike. I'll be there in a moment."

Turning back to me, Spike motioned to the room behind him. "Go right in, Matthew." Stepping past him, I entered the library. Inside, it was nicely furnished- simple, well thought out furniture that complimented the space, without overdoing it. Moving towards the sitting area, I noticed a few books on an end table. Glancing over their titles, I wasn't surprised. '_Advanced Magical Studies for the Studious Unicorn'_ was written in gold leaf on the cover.

"I guess she fits the bill, huh?" I said to myself, more a statement than a question. I elected to stay standing, as I was not entirely confident in my ability to stand back up again. I'd have to practice that.

Idly waiting, my eyes were drawn to the fireplace, the centerpiece of the sitting area. Above it, hanging on the wall, there was a colorful painting. Depicting a summer scene, two ponies sat in the shade of an apple tree, the sun high in the sky behind them. In the background, a farmhouse was set against a hill, bright red contrasting against the light green of the foliage. Looking down at my own cutie mark, I briefly wondered if I could paint or draw that well. I had never really tried, apart from some sketches when I was younger.

"It's a nice picture, isn't it?" Turning around, I saw Twilight at the top of the stairs, her mane in a messy state from whatever she had been doing. "It was a gift from my friend Rarity. Said it would look 'absolutely fabulous' on the mantle." Descending the steps, she approached the sitting area. "I'm Twilight, but I suppose you already knew that if you asked for me. What's your name?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"My name's Matthew, Miss Twilight." It couldn't hurt to have some manners, especially if she was the one giving me a free bed. "It is a nice painting." I stated.

"You don't have to call me Miss or anything. Personally, I hate the title. Formal stuff really isn't my thing." Pausing for a moment, she looked at me. "So, what brings you here? We don't usually get visitors this late."

"Well, your friend Applejack said you could help me with a bit of a problem. You see, I left my saddlebag where I came from, and I don't have any money to afford a room at the inn. She said you had a free room here. Just for a little while, of course." I wasn't nervous at all, surprisingly. Twilight was a kind pony, and I doubted she'd refuse.

She began to chuckle, which quickly turned into a full-blown laugh. "Forgot your saddlebag? Nice one, hotshot."

I shrugged, a smile creeping its way onto my face. "Yeah, I guess it was pretty smooth of me." I couldn't help but laugh along, even though I knew the real reason I didn't have any money.

Calming down, Twilight began to reply. "Sure, I've got a guest room. You seem nice enough, Matthew. Besides, any friend of Applejack's is a friend of mine." Noticing her untidy mane, she ran a hoof through it, trying to smooth it into its usual state. "Sorry about my mane. I was rearranging old books in the archives."

"Would you like any help? It's the least I can do." I offered. If I couldn't repay her with bits, I would at least help her with anything she needed.

"Sure, if you're offering. I'm almost done, but there should be something you can help with. Follow me!" Twilight turned back around and began to ascend the stairs, with me close behind. At the landing, we turned left and walked down a small hallway. Entering a doorway, we stopped inside a storeroom; the shelves laid out in rows and filled with books and scrolls of every size. Twilight motioned to the left. "The ones that need arranging are over here." Looking over, I saw a section of the shelves had been cleared off, their contents now resting on the floor beside them. Stepping closer, I realized this must be the history section, as '_The Beginnings of Equestria' _and _'Early Equestrian Society'_ faced up at me. Twilight called out from behind me "It's pretty simple. We just need to alphabetize this section."

"Alright." Looking over the pile, I selected the (alphabetically) first book in the pile, a large volume titled '_Abnormal Sightings in Early Equestria'_. Suddenly, I had a moment of doubt. How the fuck was I supposed to lift this? I couldn't ask Twilight, obviously- "Oh, hey Twilight, can you tell me how to do a basic pony skill that I should have known since I was two? Nothing suspicious at all, really." Yeah. Suuuuure.

Lifting up my hoof, I hovered it over the book. Touching the cover, I was shocked. There was a strange feeling in my hoof- it almost felt as if though I had fingers! I could feel myself grabbing the book, though I had no idea how. Lifting my hoof upwards, I felt the book rise up with it as I placed it on the shelf. _'So __**that's**__ how they hold things!_' I thought to myself.

About twenty minutes later, we finished our chore. Approaching the landing, I noticed a clock on the wall. Yawning loudly, I read the time. '_8:23… I've been up for how many hours now?'_

"Thanks for your help, Matthew." Seeing my yawn, she chuckled. "The guest bedroom's to the right. Looks like you need it."

"That'd probably be a good idea," I responded, looking at her. "I've been up for quite a while." As if on cue, another yawn forced its way out of my mouth.

"I can tell!" was her only answer, her mouth forming a wry smile. Moving past me, she looked over the railing, trying to find her dragon assistant. "We're all finished, Spike!"

"I think I'll be off then… goodnight, Twilight. Oh, and thanks for the bed."

"It's really no trouble, Matthew. Now, go get some sleep." she responded. Looking around, my half-lidded eyes found the door to the guest bedroom, and I sleepily made my way toward it. Opening the door, I was greeted by a luxurious-looking large bed, set near a window that looked out on the square below. The night sky twinkled brilliantly outside, with far more stars than I had ever seen on Earth, likely due to light pollution. Built into the walls were several bookshelves, but I was too tired to look over their contents. Near the bed was a small wooden table, a lamp sitting on top of it. In the far corner was a plush chair, likely for reading.

However, my thoughts were focused on sleep. Sluggishly walking towards the bed, I slumped over and landed on the pillow. Immediately relaxing, I felt my muscles release their tension. The soft feeling was made all the more intense by my extreme tiredness, now that the day's events were finished. An intense feeling of happiness and satisfaction washed over me, and I was out like a light.

**I hope this extra-long chapter will make up for the extra-long wait I subjected you to. Now that my semester finals and such are over, I should have more time to write. My Saturdays are free now, so more time there as well.**

**I'm not sure if I got Twilight or Applejack's demeanor quite right (and I may have slaughtered Applejack's accent) so please, give me some pointers, whether they be minor formatting errors or major problems. This chapter was made over the course of a month, due to time constraints, so I may not notice some stuff.**

**NOTE: Depending on how the "Princess Coronation" episode plays out, I may or may not have Twilight change to an Alicorn. I haven't decided yet. Starting this in the middle of a season, I want this to have the feeling that it's happening at any point in the storyline after season 2, if you get what I'm trying to say.**

**Happy February, my birthday month!**

**-ThawtPolice**


	3. First Impressions

**Across The Universe**

Chapter 3

First Impressions

**A/N: Alright, I'm finally back. My hands work again! (For those of you who didn't know, I busted up my hands skateboarding. It **_**sucked. **_**Bruises, blisters, the whole works. Add that on top of several projects that involve typing and stuff and it's a recipe for disaster.) But, I digress. I'm making excuses; I had plenty of time before my hands got messed up. But this time, I really will try to update in a timely fashion.**

**I actually wrote 90% of the chapter before I derped while skateboarding. After a week of not doing much with my hands I came back to this, wasn't satisfied, and scrapped 3000+ words. Such is the life of a perfectionist.**

**Albums of the Week: **_**Absolution **_**by Muse and **_**A Rush of Blood to the Head **_**by Coldplay.**

**Oh, and I'm not putting alicorn Twilight in this fanfiction. I'm not entirely happy with how they did it.**

**DISCLAIMER: Me no own MLP. Hasbro does.**

I awoke to the muffled sounds of Ponyville through the large window. Groggily opening my eyes, I shifted towards the edge of the bed. Sitting up, I rolled off, on to all fours- surprisingly graceful, considering my new pony form. Looking out over the square, I saw the snow as pristine as ever. Makes sense, considering their lack of cars and pollutants and all that jazz.

I used this time to more closely evaluate my room. As I noticed last night, there was a plush-looking chair off in the corner, and the nightstand next to my bed. Looking towards the bookshelves in the wall, I thought I would see what Equestrian literature had to offer. Picking one off the nearest shelf at random, I read its cover out loud.

"_A Traveler's Guide to Equestria." _read the front cover. I made a mental note of that one. It'd certainly help, considering my lack of knowledge about anything not in the actual show.

Exiting my room, I spied an open bathroom to my left, and a mirror inside. Walking over, I figured it'd be a good chance to see what I looked like, at least the parts I couldn't see with my own two eyes. Viewing myself in the mirror, I took in my reflection. I did indeed have a dirty-orange body, a solid color from my ears to my hooves. Looking at my face, I was greeted with two strikingly blue eyes- sort of a cyan, a little brighter, or at least shinier, than Rainbow's coat. A bit higher, I saw my mane. It was brown in color, with a reddish streak through the middle and down the back. Although it looked a bit messy, it was a nice kind of messy, as if I styled it to look this way. I liked it.

Walking out of the bathroom, I heard the sounds of plates and glasses clinking together, and I figured Twilight and Spike must have been eating breakfast. Heading down the stairs, I smelled something _delicious. _Whatever it was, I didn't know, but my stomach rumbled hungrily in response. Hurrying to the kitchen, I found Twilight and Spike eating, just as I had suspected.

"Oh, hey Matthew. Hungry? Help yourself." She said upon noticing me.

"Smells delicious, Twilight! Um… what is it?"

"Just some hay bacon. Try some! Spike made it; he's a pretty good cook." As she motioned over to the young dragon, Spike smiled happily, always eager for praise. "Pull up a chair!" Sliding in to an open seat, I reached for the plate, and promptly dropped a couple pieces onto my own. Staring down at it, I stopped myself.

_ That's… hay. Hay bacon. How does that work? And how does it smell exactly like real bacon? And… how am I gonna eat it without throwing up? _I thought to myself. I'm pretty sure most humans don't eat ha-

_Wait a second… but I'm not a human anymore! And if those fanfics are right, then that means this should taste awesome! _Before I could second guess my decision, I wolfed it down, emitting a contented sigh after finishing. It tasted… well, I can't describe it, really. I wasn't exactly like bacon, even though it smelled that way. All I knew was that it really was _fantastic._ It probably shouldn't surprise me that it tastes so good. I'm in a pony body, so why wouldn't I have pony taste buds?

"Geez, Matthew. Are you hungry or what?" Twilight giggled, a smile on her face.

"Um… yeah," I responded, a slight blush of embarrassment creeping up on my face. "Sorry. But it is excellent food! Best hay bacon I've ever eaten." Well, that wasn't a lie, was it? I just… stretched the truth a bit. Yeah.

"Well, don't thank me! Spike's the one who cooked it. Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without him." Again, the purple dragon's face bore a smile, obviously pleased with the compliment. Turning my head back towards Twilight, I asked her a question.

"So, Twilight. What is there to do in Ponyville? I don't know that much about it." Okay, that was mostly a lie. Still, there must be something new I can see. They can't have put every single location in Ponyville into the show.

"Well… I suppose I could show you around…" She paused for a moment, and then continued, remembering something. "Oh! I know! I'm having lunch with the girls at noon. You could meet them all, I mean, besides Applejack and myself. But still, that leaves Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie."

_A lunch get-together, huh? That'd be a great way to meet the whole Mane Six, and see the town at the same time. It's a good idea. _

"Sounds good to me. Where would we be having lunch?" I asked. I didn't know of that many restaurants in Ponyville. There was Sugarcube Corner, obviously, but that was more of a bakery than anything. It might be that café in the first season- the episode with the Gala tickets and stuff. Whatever its name was.

"Oh, there's a café by the Town Hall. My treat. So, if you're coming, that still leaves us a few hours to show you around. We could go in five minutes, if you like." Aha! So I was right! Hmmm… I wonder how the food is? All I saw in the episodes were daisy sandwiches and stuff, but judging by my hay-bacon experience, I'll probably like daisy sandwiches anyways.

_Wait. Did she just say 'My treat?' Isn't that usually something you say when you… like someon- somepony? Nah, I'm probably reading too far into it. I mean, I told her I didn't have any bits, that's probably why._

"Um, sure. Yeah, that'll work," I responded idly, still off on my mind's tangent. "Do you mind if I look around?" I wanted to see more of the library, especially the history section for obvious reasons. And it couldn't hurt to see what Equestrian fiction had to offer, either.

"Of course!" Twilight answered. "It is a public library after all, even if I live in it. Help yourself to any books you like." With that, she turned around, off to get ready for her meeting with her friends. Spike followed her, though I doubted he would come with us- hanging out with six mares and a stallion didn't seem like the young dragon's cup of tea.

Turning around and exiting the kitchen, I came face to face with a small owl. Startled, I jumped back, only to chuckle when I realized who it was.

"Who," Owliscious hooted. "Who, who, who." Not giving me a chance to respond, he flew away, probably looking for a good perch to land on. Laughing softly, my eyes followed him as he flew around the corner. Looking to the books set into the wall, I glanced along their spines, trying to find more books on the subjects of Equestrian history and life.

"'_Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone'… _no, not what I'm looking for, although it must be pretty awesome if even Rainbow likes it… '_Daring Do and the Griffin's Goblet'… nope… 'Scarlet Sleuth and the Sugar Caper'_… where's the history section?" Just then, Twilight walked into the room, done with whatever she needed to do before we left.

"Find anything?" Twilight asked. "I'm ready when you are." Turning to look at her, I replied an affirmative.

"Sure thing, Twilight. Where are we going first?"

"I thought I'd take you to see the schoolhouse first, then Sweet Apple Acres. Maybe we'll go by Rainbow's cloud home." Awesome! Seeing Rainbow's home would be really cool, seeing as it is physically impossible in our world. Especially the rainbow fountain out front. Maybe I'll try tasting it while I'm there.

"Alright. Lead the way." I said. Exiting the front door of the library, we emerged onto the street to see Pinkie Pie skipping past. Twilight called out in greeting, and Pinkie Pie literally stopped in her tracks and changed direction _in mid-air._ Cartoon physics, I suppose. Or at least Pinkie physics.

"Oh, hey Twi!" Upon noticing me, she broke out into a huge smile. "Who's your friend? Is he _new?_ He must be new, because I know everypony in town! Oh! What's his name, huh? Is it Flash Bolt or Evening Dusk or Birdsong? No? How about Squiggles? I met a bunny named Squiggles once. Does he like parties? 'Cause I like parties! Oh this is just super-duper-spectacular! If you're a new pony that means I get to throw a ginormous welcome party for you! It'll have streamers and cake and dancing and balloons and more cake!" She paused, and rummaged around in her mane. Pulling a large, decorated wagon out of thin air, she set it down in front of her on the snow.

Twilight turned to me, warily eying the wagon. "Watch out, Matthew. The last time she did this, the cake came out of the confetti cannon and the confetti out of the oven." Remembering the episode _A Friend in Deed_, I nodded, before looking back at the pink earth pony.

"_Welcome welcome welcome  
A fine welcome to you  
Welcome welcome welcome  
I say how do you do?  
Welcome welcome welcome  
I say hip hip hurray  
Welcome welcome welcome  
To Ponyville today!"_

Being Pinkie, she accompanied her song with several instruments that appeared out of nowhere, as well as, oddly enough, bipedal dancing. Wrapping up her lyrics, the bright pink earth pony finished her dance by sliding towards me on her knees, belting out the last words with a voice worthy of a choir. A large smile on her face, she looked back eagerly at the wagon, which was now vibrating quite rapidly. Suddenly, confetti shot high into the air and an oven timer dinged. Rushing back over and opening it up, Pinkie presented us with a cake, freshly baked and decorated with frosting.

"Pinkie!" Twilight exclaimed, barely controlling her laughter. "Calm down!"

"My name's Pinkie Pie! Do you want some cake? Huh? Do ya?" Pinkie was literally bouncing with excitement, somehow keeping the cake from falling. Her eyes shined with happiness, and I had a feeling she lived for this even more than the show would indicate.

Twilight cut in again. "I don't think either of us are in a mood for cake this early, Pinkie." Looking at me, I nodded in agreement.

"Oh," Pinkie replied. Staring quizzically at the baked good in question, she thought of something and smiled again. "That just means there's more for me and Gummy!" As if on cue, the green, toothless alligator/crocodile mix popped out of Pinkie's mane, his unblinking purple eyes as slightly disconcerting as ever. Jumping down and landing on Pinkie's outstretched hoof, he proceeded to bite it repeatedly, though it had no effect due to his lack of teeth. "Well, I'll see you later today, Twilight! Bye!" Hopping away as soon as she had appeared, the bright pink pony disappeared around the corner.

"What'd you think?" Twilight asked, once more turning her head to face mine.

"Wow. She's… something. At least her wagon worked this time, right?" I replied, my face still a mask of bewilderment. Sure, seeing her on the show is one thing, but to see her in person was quite another.

"You can say that again," the purple unicorn responded. "Come on, I'll show you around." With that, she continued walking, and I followed her.

""I never actually told her my name…"

"And that's the Ponyville Schoolhouse." Twilight stated. We had been walking for about forty-five minutes now, and I had seen quite a lot more than was actually in the show. Most of it was just residential buildings, but I saw Vinyl and Octavia's house at least. It was strange- I thought I'd be pretty bored by now, but somehow Twilight made it interesting enough that I felt like listening.

"Oh, yeah. I met Cherilee on my way to the library yesterday." It seemed like she had a gentle, motherly sort of personality, and it really was no wonder that she was a teacher.

"Really? Did she seem nice?" I could tell Twilight already knew, and was merely seeing what I thought of the deep magenta mare.

"Yeah. We couldn't talk for long, though. She had papers to grade." Looking around me, I took in the view of Ponyville. "It's a nice town, don't you think?"

"Certainly! Everypony's very friendly." She paused for a moment. "Want to see Rainbow's cloud home? It's a little ways ahead of us."

"AWWWWWWW YEAH!" I yelled in excitement. The purple mare looked at me strangely. Giving a sheepish smile, I felt a blush rising to my cheeks.

"Ummm… okaaaay then. Follow me."

"Rainbow!" Twilight yelled. "Wake up! There's somepony new in town!" We were standing under Dash's cloud house that floated above a hill. It was a rather regal sight, despite the tomboyishness of the rainbow-maned owner. Elaborate cloud decorations furnished the outside of the home, complete with her own personal rainbow cascading down to the ground, ending in a pool of liquid color. Sadly, Twilight told me not to taste it. Remembering Pinkie from that one episode in Cloudsdale (**I honestly can't remember the episode name**), I decided that was probably a good idea, even if I really wanted to. Maybe I'll try later, when she's not looking.

Dash's raspy voice called down from above. "Alright, fine! I'm up, I'm up!" I let out a chuckle when I realized Dash had been sleeping, which didn't really surprise me. It seemed that Rainbow's two favorite activities were flying and napping. After a minute, she floated down from above. Landing in front of us, she turned to me. "You're the new pony?"

"Yep!" I responded. "You must be Rainbow Dash, nice to meet you. My name's Matthew." I was sort of shocked I could pull off these lies so easily. I thought I'd be harder to convince them I didn't know who they were.

"Sure is!" said the cyan mare. "Rainbow Dash, Ponyville Weather Manager and fastest flier in Equestria!" Well, the show certainly didn't get it wrong on her bragging. But then again, she wasn't really being mean about it, she was really just stating the truth.

I looked back at my sides. "If I had wings, I'd make you prove it." I said with a slight smile.

Twilight cut in. "Like I said, he's new in town, so I thought he could join us all for lunch. Why don't you come with us now? It's almost time to meet up with the girls anyways." Rainbow looked longingly up at her cloud home, probably thinking of her bed, before stretching lazily.

"Alright, Twi. Let's go."

We arrived at the café about fifteen minutes later. It was, in fact, the café from the third episode, which apparently was just called the "Ponyville Café." So much for originality. With strictly outdoor seating, it seemed like a nice place for lunch. Looking for a table, I saw the rest of the Mane Six waving us over, and I motioned for Twilight and Rainbow to follow.

"Hey, Matthew!" Applejack exclaimed. "Glad yah could make it! I trust Twilight let yah stay, then."

"Yeah, she did. Thanks for telling me about her." I responded.

"Well, I knew she would. She's got a kind heart." She paused, and then laughed. "I woulda kicked her flank if she didn't!"

"Who is this new stallion, Applejack?" Rarity asked, confusedly. As usual, she had dressed up too much for the occasion. While the rest of the Mane Six weren't wearing anything, besides Applejack's ever-present Stetson, Rarity was wearing a yellow sundress and hat more suited for the streets of Canterlot than Ponyville.

"This here's Matthew. He's new in town, Rarity." AJ said.

Rarity smiled at this. "Why hello, Matthew. You simply _must_ come down to my shop sometime. Carousel Boutique- fashionable clothes for fashionable ponies!" _That slogan's new. I wonder how much else is different from canon here._

"It'd be my pleasure, Rarity." Smiling, I took a place at the table.

Pinkie nearly burst from excitement. "Your name's Matthew! That's a new name, but you're a new pony! Now I know whose name I should put on all your party banners! You didn't forget about your party, did you? I hope you didn't, because it's going to be super awesome, with streamers and confetti on top of _all _that other stuff I said there'd be! It's going to be the best party I've thrown in a while!" Knowing better than to interrupt Pinkie when she was like this, I merely shook my head in amusement.

"Oh, um… hi, Matthew. My name is… Fluttershy." Fluttershy said. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't mumbling, either- just soft. '_The assertiveness training must have worked for her,' _I thought. _'She's not nearly as shy as she was in the pilot episode.'_

"Hi, Fluttershy." I replied.

Just then, a waiter appeared to our right. "A full house today, hmmm? What can I get you all?" he asked. His body was a flat white, with a light green mane- sort of an evergreen color. Apparently the rest of the Mane Six had been waiting a little bit, as the menus were already on the table.

Hastily, I snatched the menu off the table. There wasn't that much to choose from, as it was a café, not a full service restaurant. As the rest of the table placed their orders, I decided on my meal. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the, ummm… the H.L.T. with hay-fries, please." From the menu description, it seemed like the pony equivalent of the classic bacon-lettuce-tomato from Earth, except (obviously) with hay instead of bacon. And hay-fries, well- they can't be that different from Earth, can they?

"Certainly, sir. Will that be all?" The Mane Six nodded their assent. Scribbling down my order with his mouth, he walked away.

"So…" Rarity began. "Matthew, what is your cutie mark? Your talent?"

I panicked a little, not exactly knowing what it said I was good at. Glancing towards it, I hazarded a guess. "Oh, it's painting. You know, art and the like." I really hoped that wouldn't come back and bite me in the ass later. I had never really drawn or painted before on Earth, so I wasn't feeling very confident with that explanation.

"Oh, a painter!" Twilight exclaimed. "I don't think Ponyville's had a painter in a while. You'll have to show us some of it, I'm sure we'd all love to see your paintings."

Thankfully, I was saved from that request by our food arriving. Twilight (as always) had ordered the Daffodil & Daisy Sandwich, along with Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Rainbow had gotten the H.L.T. like me, while Pinkie decided on the Tomato & Hay soup. All of them had ordered hay-fries as well. Digging in, I decided I could get used to these pony taste buds, as this food was _AMAZING._ I wolfed it down greedily, and I noticed the rest of the group doing the same.

Finishing up our lunch, we all went our separate ways, with Rainbow off for an afternoon nap, Rarity to work on some new dress designs she said were "Simply _marvelous,_ darling", and Pinkie, well, being Pinkie. AJ said she was going back to Sweet Apple Acres, and Fluttershy said Angel needed his lunch back at her house near the forest, which left me and Twilight to return to the library.

As we passed through the Ponyville market, Twilight posed a question. "So, Matthew, what'd you think of everypony? And, for that matter, your first day in Ponyville?" I didn't really need to think much before responding.

"Your friends seem great, Twilight." I paused a moment. "I could get used to this place."

**A/N: Whew! I'm back! Like I said in my 91-word status update thing, I bucked up my hands while skateboarding. After that, I hit writers block. On my **_**third **_**chapter. It's sad, really.**

**The song is obviously Pinkie's "Welcome Song" from the episode **_**A Friend in Deed,**_** S2 E18, where she meets Cranky Doodle Donkey. For the Ponyville Café menu, I based it off of this post on DeviantART (Replace the [] with a . as FanFiction doesn't like links):**

** []com/art/Ponyville-Cafe-Menu-239136058**

**On an unrelated note that no-one probably cares about, I recently got ArmA 2 on Steam, and I am currently getting my ass kicked in DayZ.**

**See you (hopefully) next week,**

**ThawtPolice**


	4. Seeing the Sights

**Across the Universe**

Chapter 4

Seeing the Sights

**A/N: Buck my work ethic. I cannot seem to get motivated to write. It's not due to lack of time or writer's block, I'm just horrible with deadlines and dates and finishing shit. I have no excuse for updating this freaking late. If I had any ethic to speak of, I would have had this chapter out **_**ages**_** ago.**

**Music of the ****week**** month: Anything by SimGretina (who is majorly awesome) and the album **_**Hang On **_**by The Plateros. Seriously, look them up. The frontman's only 21 or so and he sounds like Elton John.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own My Little Pony, including all characters, settings, and stories thereof.**

I woke early the next morning. Celestia's sun had just barely started to rise, its golden rays poking up from the horizon. Looking out upon the square, I only noticed a few ponies, most likely early risers going about their errands before the day begun in earnest. Moving away from the glass, I slipped out of the guest room, careful not to wake Twilight. After the lunch meet up yesterday, we had come back to the library, as Twilight said she had some work to do. Figuring I had nothing better to do, I decided to come with, and had started reading the copy of _Scarlet Sleuth and the Sugar Caper _I had seen yesterday. As far as I could tell, it was Equestria's version of Sherlock Holmes. Despite the fairly benign title, it was a good read- a lot more "high level" than I had thought it would be.

However, that was not my reason for getting up this early, as the book in question sat on my nightstand, a bookmark stuck snugly between the pages. Yesterday, Twilight had needed a book for her research- _"Ancient Griffin Society" _was the name. Upon discovering that she didn't have it, she remembered that she had lent it to the owner of a bookstore on the other side of town. I figured I'd pick it up for her, as a small thanks for letting me sleep at the library for free. It was for that reason I found myself up at this hour.

I continued down the stairs and pushed the library door open. Unlike the doors back on Earth, doors in Equestria opened either way, so you merely had to push on the door and it would let you in or out, depending on which way you were coming from. Stepping out onto the well-packed snow, I turned left and walked out into the street. Nopony- I chuckled a bit when I caught myself saying that- crossed my path, almost like a ghost town.

I walked along for a few minutes, looking out for the shop. I had asked last night, and Twilight had said the name was "First Edition Books", run by an older stallion by the name of Page Turner. When I first heard that, I had to grin. It was at least a little funny how some pony's names fit right in with their occupation. How did their parents know what to name them? Did they give themselves a new name when they got their cutie marks? Who knows?

A little more walking and I spotted First Edition. It was an unassuming building, looking like most of the homes in Ponyville, for it seemed that most ponies lived in their shops. A small sign hung out front, dangling off a support beam by two small chains. A closed book and a quill were etched into the wood, with a purple outline. Walking up to the door, I raised my hoof and knocked twice, waiting for an answer.

"Yes?" A muffled voice answered my knock. "The door's open, come on in." Pushing open the door, I entered into a roomful of wooden shelves. Books and miscellaneous papers filled up every nook and cranny of the available space, save for a small counter to my left. The air was fairly dusty, no doubt from being filled with books that hadn't been opened in a while.

At that moment, Page Turner popped out from behind one of the shelves. I estimated him to be the pony equivalent of a sixty-five year old or so. He was a light grey stallion of average build, with a pure white mane; a horn rose out of it. A similarly white beard covered his chin, neatly trimmed to match the geometry of his face. A pair of reading glasses sat on his nose with thin, silver rims. All of this combined to give him a rather grandfatherly appearance.

"You're lucky I'm an early riser, young'un. Now, what can Page Turner do for you today?" With that, he moved out from the shelf. Unsurprisingly, his cutie mark was an open book, not unlike the sign outside of Twilight's library. He moved to the other side of my vision, organizing some books left on top of a counter I hadn't seen before. He hummed a merry tune while he worked, one I couldn't quite place.

"Oh, well, Twilight said she lent you a book. "_Ancient Griffin Society", _I think it was. She needs it for one of her studies, or something." I still wasn't exactly sure why she needed it, but I supposed it was just one of those Twilight things- y'know, learn everything about some random topic for no apparent reason.

"Twilight sent you, huh?" Page Turner closed his eyes and smiled knowingly. "Well then, I won't ask you what she needs it for, I doubt she told you. I'm done with it anyways, it's in the back." I nodded and proceeded further into the shop. Seeing the book on a desk in the back, I grabbed it and turned around. "Say hi to Twilight to me, okay?" Page Turner called out.

"Sure," I replied as I pushed the door open. "Goodbye!" Stepping once again into the street, a few more ponies were out and about, though still few compared to the peak hours of the day. Checking that errand off my metaphorical to-do list, I decided to return to the library. I briefly wondered if Twilight was up yet. Would she wonder where I was? Not likely, as she'd be too wrapped up in whatever research she'd gotten into now. It was sort of adorable, really, the way she would focus intensely on her studies. She had done less of it as her time in Ponyville increased (probably a good thing, too), with her time being taken up by friends instead of books.

In this span of time, I'd mostly covered the distance to the library. Nearing the square, I saw Big Macintosh out early, delivering produce like Applejack had a couple days ago. I nodded to him, and he nodded back, but did not make any further attempt at conversation. Knowing he was a pony of few words, I accepted it and moved on. I assumed he knew who I was, as I bet Applejack had told him after meeting me.

I walked closer to the library and pushed open the door, closing it behind me and continuing through the library. Turing the corner to the kitchen, I was face-to-face with Twilight. She jumped back, uttering a small yell of surprise.

"Woah! Matthew, where'd you come from? I assumed you were still asleep!" She had gotten over her initial shock by now, instead asking me for answers.

"Well, I, um," My mind went blank for a second, and I stood there looking like a complete idiot for longer than I wanted. "You said you needed this book, so I figured I'd go out and get it for you, to help out and such." That wasn't very smooth of me.

"Oh. Okay," Twilight responded, looking from the book to me and back. "Thanks! You didn't have to, you know, I could have gotten it later today." A smile crept across her face, showing she was glad I had done it, no matter what excuse she made up for me not having to.

"I know, Twi. But I wanted to." She noticed my use of her nickname, a bit of heat rising to her cheeks as she stepped back a bit.

In a quieter voice, she echoed her previous response. "Thanks, Matthew." She seemed to realize this was becoming a bit more than a casual appreciation of my chore, and set out to remedy that. With her voice back to full strength, she turned around. "Let's get some breakfast!"

…

After another _'holy crap this is amazing why isn't food this good all the time' _breakfast, compliments of Spike, Twilight said she intended to use the book I had gotten her and would be doing research all morning. Since there wasn't that much to do around the library, I figured I'd head out and see town on my own. Twilight said it sounded good to her, and asked me to be back there at five. For what, she didn't say. Still, that gave me plenty of time to see Ponyville properly, and after saying goodbye, I headed out.

Walking through the streets of Ponyville for the second time that morning, I realized something: it was a _hell_ of a lot bigger than the show made it out to be. This made me realize something else, something I probably should have known before I decided to walk out in a random direction: I had absolutely no idea where anything was.

After wandering aimlessly for a couple more minutes, I came upon the town square. Recognizing Sugarcube Corner, I decided I'd drop in and say hello to Pinkie. I covered the remaining distance to the shop with a spring in my step, as I knew anything involving Pinkie would be fun.

As I opened the door, I was greeted by a small interior, filled with tables and chairs. Like many other residents of Ponyville, the Cakes (and Pinkie, too) lived in their workplace, and I saw a living room beyond the door to the public area of the house. Working the counter, Pinkie looked up and started at me for a second, before breaking out into a large grin.

"Hey, Matthew! Did you come by to try one of my cupcakes? They're _really_ good!" She stretched out the 'really', a look of seriousness overcoming her features; as if it was essential to some grand plan of hers that I try her baked delights.

"I'd like to, Pinkie, but I don't have any mon- bits." I almost didn't catch that one in time, and I really didn't know how Pinkie would react to a slip-up. I didn't care to find out, either.

"Oh, that's no problem, silly! You can have it for free! I mean, if everyone can't have one of your cupcakes, then what's the point of making them?" She laughed, as if I had said something silly.

Wow. An answer like that certainly wouldn't have gotten her anywhere in my business economics class. "Are you sure the Cakes wouldn't mind? I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."

"Of course they won't! It's what friends do! Anyways, I made this one special for ya! I was gonna give it to you later today, but since you came in now this is even better!" With that, she disappeared in back for a moment. When she returned, a cupcake was in her hand. Setting it on the counter, she looked back up at me. "Here you go!" It surprised me for a second that she considered me a friend so quickly, but then again, it _was_ Pinkie Pie we're talking about.

I picked up the cupcake and smiled a bit, for it was covered in white frosting with swirls of orange and red, like my coat and mane. I agreed with her choice of not including a brown to match my primary mane color, as that would have made it look a bit less like frosting and a bit more like somebody's bathroom exploits. On top of the frosting was a beautifully detailed paintbrush made of more frosting. It matched my cutie mark perfectly.

"Wow, Pinkie! You're amazing at decorating these!" I had never seen a cupcake so _awesome_ looking. Mainly because I was on it. Briefly, I thought of how it looked like some of the baked goods out of a certain creepypasta I had seen on the internet, but quickly dismissed the thought.

"Well, duh, Matt! That's why I'm a baker!" She leaned over the counter now, looking intently into my eyes. "So, where ya going next?"

I hadn't really thought of that yet. "I dunno, Pinkie. Where do you think I should go?" As the local party pony, she'd have to know something fun to do.

She thought about that for a bit, her face scrunched up in concentration. After a couple seconds, she had apparently thought of an idea, as she started jumping up and down. "Oh! Oh! I know!" she exclaimed. "Rainbow's practicing some of her new tricks over by her house! It's totally _amazing!_ She does loops and rolls and fast turns and then she does really cool tricks that I don't know the names of and then she does more of them and then she does an awesome landing!" She stopped jumping at this point, panting a bit.

Well, Pinkie was obviously a fan of Dash, that much was clear. And it _would_ be pretty awesome to see the self-proclaimed "fastest flyer in Equestria" do some tricks. Seeing it in the episodes fine, but seeing it in real life would be a lot better. As a kid, I'd always had a sort of fascination with planes, and watching Dash pull off tricks to rival the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds would be nice.

"Sounds good to me!" I paused. "Um… where is that?" I asked with a sheepish smile.

Pinkie laughed again, finding it funny that I didn't know where to go. Pointing to the left, she said "Rainbow usually practices up that way. Have fun! Oh! Maybe I'll come see you guys on my break!" Starting towards the exit, I waved at her. She waved back before disappearing into the kitchen.

…

About ten minutes after crossing the bridge near Sugarcube Corner, I came upon a large clearing. Judging by the bleachers on the sides, I guessed it was frequently used for Ponyville sporting events. A small, red and white concession stand stood off to one side, not currently in use. Next to it, a folded-up tent lay on the ground.

Suddenly, a faint sound reached my ears, a sort of _whoosh._ Looking around, I tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, but the source eluded me. Giving up, I started to look for Rainbow.

"Look out, Matthew!" I heard Rainbow yell from behind me. "Get out of the way!" Turning around, I saw Rainbow barreling towards me from the sky at an alarmingly fast rate. Adjusting her flight path to the right, she banked hard and flew past me, her wings almost hitting my face. As she passed, I was buffeted by the air she displaced, and I almost fell over before I managed to steady myself.

After this, Rainbow started to rapidly slow down, before coming to a stop near the other edge of the clearing. Turning around, she started to fly towards me, much slower this time. With a look of exasperation and annoyance on her face, she hovered in front of me.

"Come on, Matt! You ruined my new trick! Now I have to run the whole routine all over again!" She frowned. "Why are you out here, anyways?"

I wasn't sure exactly what to say, having just wrecked her trick. "Pinkie told me I should come out here and watch you do some flying. She said you were pretty good at it."

At this, Rainbow scoffed. "Pretty good? I'm better than _pretty good._ I'm the fastest flyer in Equestria!" she stated in her raspy voice.

"And modest, too," I said, chuckling to myself. "Anyways, can I watch?"

At this, the cyan Pegasus perked up, the annoyance vanishing from her face. She always liked it when people watched, as long as she didn't screw up any of her moves while they did. "Sure." She flew up in the air, rapidly ascending to a point a few hundred feet above me. Moving over to the bleachers, I sat on the top bench and craned my neck upwards.

Dash started out with a few laps of the clearing, her warm up before anything really began. After that, she came in low, swooping near the bleachers at a moderate speed.

I couldn't resist. "Press B to do a barrel roll!" I yelled out, loud enough so she could hear me. Turning over and flying on her side, she looked at me strangely, a quizzical expression on her face. I shrugged, and she righted herself again, flying up and continuing her routine.

…

After a couple hours of watching Rainbow fly, I had been thoroughly impressed. Dash had flown far beyond every expectation I had of her skills, and it was clear that when she said she was the "fastest flyer in Equestria", she wasn't exaggerating much. I wondered: how much time did she spend practicing to get this good? I doubted she could put in this much time every day, as she did have _some _responsibilities, namely the office of Ponyville Weather Manager.

"Hey Matt!" A happy voice called out. Turning my head, I saw Pinkie approach the clearing, skipping all the while.

"Hey Pinkie. Are you on break?" I beckoned to the seat next to me on the bleachers.

"Yeah!" She skipped up to me. "Is rainbow awesome or what?" She sat next to me, turning her head to Dash, who was finishing a final trick in one of her routines.

I nodded in assent. "She sure is, Pinkie. She doesn't lie when she says she's the best." Rainbow had finished her final trick, and was now turning towards us, slowing down as she did so.

"I know, right? She's totally the best!" The party pony paused for a second. "Well, except for maybe the Wonderbolts. But that's what she's training to be!"

Rainbow stopped in front of us, hovering a few meters off the ground. "Hey, Pinks! You on break?"

"Yep! I told Matthew I'd come over here! Are you all done flying?" Pinkie winked at Dash then, a gesture that was lost on me. Rainbow let out a small chuckle and nodded.

"Wait," I began. "What was that? The wink and the nod thing?" Knowing their reputations as notorious pranksters, I knew they were up to something. But what was it?

"Oh, it's nothing, silly!" Pinkie Pie responded. "Come on, we should get into town. I've got something I need to show you at Sugarcube Corner!"

Well. This should be good.

…

"So, Matt! What'd ya think of your first couple days in Ponyville?" We were on the path back towards the town, with Pinkie bouncing happily alongside me and Rainbow slowly flying above us, the rhythmic _thwump-thwump_ of her wingbeats sounding softly in my ears. It was almost sundown now, time having passed quicker than I thought while watching Rainbow Dash. I only realized now that I had skipped lunch, although Pinkie's cupcake had probably softened my hunger with its undoubtedly large amounts of calories. The baker in question turned to me as she asked me her question.

"I like it, Pinkie. I like it a lot. Everyo- everypony's very friendly." In a quieter voice, I muttered "A lot more friendly than where I'm from, for sure." Neither Pinkie nor Dash gave any indication they had heard the last bit.

"Well, sure! Why wouldn't anypony want to be friendly? Besides those ponies in Canterlot." She put on a small display of pouting. "They're no fun at all!"

Coming into town, I noticed that there was a suspicious absence of equine life in the streets. A few other ponies hurried around, busy with unknown errands, but for the most part, we were the only ones on the path.

I mentioned this to the two mares. "Hey, guys. Why aren't there any other ponies around?"

Pinkie shrugged, not knowing the answer. "I dunno, Matt. But, hey! We're almost at the Corner! Come on!" The pink earth pony sped up, obviously wanting us to follow.

As we approached Sugarcube Corner's door, I saw Pinkie give another wink to Dash, who answered with yet another nod, this time accompanied by a grin, her eyes darting in my direction for a second.

"Okay, seriously. What's going on?" I questioned, not wanting to be out of the loop.

Pinkie looked at me, a large smile appearing on her face. "You'll see! Open the door!"

Despite my objections, I sighed and started to push on the door. Inside, I was greeted by darkness. I moved to the side and let Pinkie and Rainbow in, and then closed the door behind them.

The instant the door shut, the lights within Sugarcube Corner came on and a few dozen ponies of various shapes, sizes, professions and colors all jumped up in front of me, uttering a single word.

"SURPRISE!"

On cue, confetti began to rain down from above by some unknown delivery method. The shock began to wear off by now, and a large smile began to spread its way across my features.

"Matt!" I turned to my left. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow were standing next to the rest of the Mane Six, beckoning me over. "How do you like your party? It even surprised me, and I'm the one who set it up!" Pinkie said.

I walked over, standing in front of Twilight. "It's great, guys, thanks. No one's ever done something like this for me before…"

"Why not?" Pinkie asked, confused. "Parties are awesome!" She reached behind her and materialized a cupcake out of thin air. I wasn't gonna argue that logic- Pinkie physics, I supposed.

"Cupcake?" I nodded, and she handed (hoofed?) it over to me. This one wasn't as decorated as the one I had earlier in the day, instead covered by simple white frosting and blue sprinkles. Looking up, I saw Pinkie had produced another cupcake and a bottle of hot sauce, proceeding to pour it on the baked dessert. I laughed on the pure absurdity of the action.

Just then, an amplified voice came through several speakers set up in each corner. "Alright, Ponyville! Time to get this party _started!_" All of us looked over, finding the source of the voice. Vinyl Scratch had set up turntables and mixing equipment against the wall, including the microphone she was now using. A cheer of approval rose from the crowd, obviously eager to party. Scratch responded by dropping two records on the turntable, pulling down her trademark shades and donning a pair of white headphones, her cutie mark emblazoned on the ear cups. The lights dimmed, not completely off but not as bright as they were before. A glow bracelet adorned both her hooves, lighting her up in fluorescent blue and green. Her electric-blue mane took on a special quality of color in the light, seeming to shine.

EDM started to play out of the speaker stacks, compliments of Vinyl. Turning back to my friends, I saw they were all smiles as well- besides Rarity, who was concentrating on avoiding a particularly boisterous stallion who seemed to be drunk.

Applejack motioned to a table with a couple of kegs on top of it, marked _"Apple Family Hard Cider"_. "Anyone want a drink?" Pinkie and Dash raised their hoofs, moving over to the table. Several other ponies follow suit, though I wasn't one of them. I recognized Berry Punch in the crowd.

So apparently Equestria has alcohol. Well, you really do learn something new every day.

Applejack filled a few mugs and set them on the table, which were quickly snatched up by various partygoers in the mood for a good time. After a large line formed, she abandoned the keg, turning it into a self-serve station. "Ya want it, then pour it yourself!" She laughed. "I can't spend all night doin' that n' miss the party!"

Seeing as this wasn't one of the high school parties I was used to, filled with stupid people and bad music, I had every intention of enjoying myself- after all, it _was_ my welcome party. I waded out into the crowd, barely avoiding a now intoxicated Berry Punch, who proceeded to fall over, being helped up by a couple background ponies I didn't know.

Twilight followed me into the throng, as did Applejack. Finding a suitable place in the building that wasn't too crowded, but not outside of the party, I looked around. When I had begun walking over here, I had intended to dance, forgetting that I had absolutely no idea how to. Looking around, I tried to find someone to copy. As I looked, I was pleasantly surprised with the type of dancing ponies were doing. Unlike Earth, where most parties quickly devolved into a bunch of illegally drunken teens grinding against each other, Equestrians seemed to actually know how to dance.

I turned back around. Twilight had started to dance, moving to the beat. From one of the episodes, I thought I remembered something about her being a terrible dancer, but apparently she had learned a bit since then. I began to copy her, bobbing my head. The footwork wasn't that hard- shifting positions here and there, forwards, backwards, but not very difficult.

Suddenly, something hit me from the side, knocking me off balance. My hooves flailing in the air for a second, I managed to steady myself. I looked for the source of the hit, and saw Pinkie Pie dancing. Well, not exactly _dancing,_ at least, not like anyone else in the room. Unlike the rest of us, she was bipedal, jumping up and down. Her "Pinkie physics" certainly helped her here, as she was able to pull off dance moves not normally possible in her pony body.

We danced for a while longer, enjoying the occasion. "So," Twilight asked, loud enough for me to hear over the sound of the party. "Pinkie went all out on this one. How do you like the party?"

"It's great, Twilight!" I yelled back. At this point, Dash and the rest of the group joined us- even Rarity, although she didn't look entirely comfortable with the decision. Fluttershy looked nervously around, crowds really weren't her thing. Dash, however, was feely great, a mug of cider in her hand as she hovered near the ceiling.

Rarity spoke up first. "This party is… nice and all, but I must let you all know I'm going home. Lots of important work to do tomorrow, dresses to make, you know…" She trailed off.

Fluttershy agreed. "I think I'll be… going home too." She shrunk back a bit. "If that's okay…"

Dash answered them both. "Sure thing. You two can go home if you want. I'm gonna enjoy this party!" She took another swig from her mug.

Rarity and Fluttershy nodded, turning towards the entrance and starting away. "Now, who wants to party?" Rainbow said, raising a cheer from the four of us left, as Pinkie was nowhere to be found. Rainbow motioned for us to follow, and we headed back into the throng.

…

Several hours later, probably near 1 in the morning by my reckoning, the party finally ended. Again unlike Earth, Ponyville residents actually bothered to help clean up after it, and with everyone helping it only took about fifteen minutes. Dash had gotten me to try the cider, after I learned that the legal drinking age in Equestria was apparently sixteen, and it turned out it wasn't as alcoholic as I'd thought- it was more just a good drink than anything, the alcohol there to improve the cider but not enough to get you very drunk, even for a lightweight. Well, maybe besides Berry Punch.

Applejack and Rainbow parted ways with us outside of the corner, leaving me and Twilight walking home. Apparently, Spike was at the party too, although I couldn't recall seeing him anywhere. Twilight told me he had gone home about the same time Fluttershy and Rarity had, and was probably already asleep, asking me to be quiet when we got back to the library. I agreed, and we walked the rest of the way in a peaceful silence, with us both just enjoying the night.

Back at the library, I poured myself a large glass of water before heading up to bed, to (hopefully) eliminate any crap feeling I'd have tomorrow. Twilight bid me goodnight and I crashed onto the pillow, sleep quickly overtaking my body.

**A/N: Damn, that was a long hiatus. I don't even have a shitty excuse this time. Meh, life got in the way. But I'm back, and that's the important part. Probably wasn't the best idea to start a story with me work ethic, but I did anyways.**

**If the chapter seemed to wrap up too quickly in the end, I thought it did too, but I can't think of a better way to word it.**

**My new favorite quote ever: "My awesomeness oozes from my pores like Clearasil on picture day!" –My best friend immediately before breaking his foot doing a Method 540 off of a tabletop. For those of you who don't know, a method is a snowboard trick where you bend your knees so the board is behind you, and then you grab the heel edge of the board. I may be horrible, but I was laughing my ass off when that happened.**

**Hopefully a new chapter next week,**

**ThawtPolice**


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